GOD CHANGES JACOB'S NAME TO ISRAEL.

And again God said and appeared to Jacob;

Gen. 35:10 And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel.

11: And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins

While Jacob was yet alive, Joseph, his son, was sold into bondage in Egypt. A few years later, the other eleven sons of Jacob, and their families moved to Egypt where Joseph saved them from the famine. While still in Egypt, Jacob Israel adopted
the two sons of Joseph, named Ephraim and Manasseh, as his first born, in place of Reuben and Simeon. This adoption as Israel's first born is verified in the Bible.

1 Chron. 5:1 Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, (for he was the firstborn; but, forasmuch as he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel

In the book of Genesis, Jacob-Israel prophesied That, Ephraim would become greater than Manasseh, and his seed would become a multitude of nations;

Gen. 48:15 And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day,

16: The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.

17: And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head.

18: And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head.

19: And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.

20: And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh

GOD MARRIES ISRAEL.

In Exodus God says, concerning his covenant with Israel;

Ex. 19:5 now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:

6: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words, which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

7: And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the LORD commanded him.

8: And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD.

THE GOD OF ABRAHAM WAS ANCIENT ISRAEL'S HUSBAND!

When Israel agreed to the terms of the contract, she symbolically became 'GOD'S WIFE.' So again in Isaiah God says;

54:5 For thy Maker is THINE HUSBAND; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.

GOD ESTABLISHES ISRAEL AS A NATION

After forty years in the wilderness, Moses died, and Joshua brought Israel into Canaan land, and established them there as a nation. They had been commanded to observe God's commandments, and judgment's, and destroy the Canaanites from out of the
land, so that they would not be tempted to follow their gods, and participate in their abominations.

This, Israel did not do, and as a consequence, they suffered a series of captivities, during the four hundred years, up to the time of David (this is recorded in the book of Judges).

David came to the throne in Israel, approximately 1050 B. C., and in forty years of war, he enlarged and secured Israel as one nation, in Canaan land, ruling them from Zion, and Jerusalem.

At on point, David had over one million, five hundred men, under arms (this is recorded in I Chron. chapter 21) which would indicate that Gods promise of increasing the seed of Abraham, was being fulfilled with ten to fifteen million people living in
Palestine at that time.

When David died, his son Solomon ruled for another forty years, establishing an era of peace and prosperity, and building the great Temple to Yahweh.

ISRAEL BECOMES A HOUSE DIVIDED.

The Israel kingdom was so blessed, it became the marvel of that part of the world. It seemed that God's promises and prophecies of great increase were being fulfilled. But after Solomon's death, came a terrible blow, the nation was divided.
The ten northern tribes established their capitol, at Samaria. Jerusalem now ruled the southern half of Israel. The northern part of Israel became known as Samaria. The rivalry between the two kingdoms, called Judah, and Samaria brought wars,
corruption, and sin, even the worship of Baal, and the other god's, of the wicked Canaanites, who still lived among them

GOD DIVORCES ISRAEL.

God sent prophets to them, warning them that he would send alien nations against them, who would then take them captive into other lands. God called Israel's sin adultery, and told her, through Jeremiah and Hosea, that he was divorcing her;

Jer. 3:8 And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce;

Hosea 2:2 Plead with your mother, plead: for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband.

According to these scriptures, God divorced Israel. The northern House of Israel was therefore divorced and no longer the wife of Yahweh. Samaria, the Northern Kingdom was called Israel, and the southern kingdom was called Judah.

God sent Assyria to conquer the northern ten tribes of the Israel Kingdom. Shiloh was the place of the Ark of the Covenant, which God had turned over into the hands of the Philistines, because of the sins of Israel. Jerusalem was destroyed in about
595 B. C., and the Judahites were taken into captivity prophesied by Jeremiah, into Babylon.

Since the Assyrians and the Babylonians took Israel into captivity, what happened to the promises made to Israel by God, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob? Seventy years later Ezra did bring back, from Babylon, to Jerusalem, a handful of Judahites,
to rebuild the city and the Temple. In Ezra: 2 that number is given at less than fifty thousand.

Ezra 2:64 The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore,

65: Beside their servants and their maids, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven: and there were among them two hundred singing men and singing women.

The remnant of Judah, and Benjamin, provided the small Israelite community that existed in Jerusalem, at the time Jesus was born, five hundred years later. But what happened to the other tens of millions of Israelites, who never returned to
Jerusalem? Are their descendants, lost from the covenant promises of God?

ISRAEL BECAME LOST TO HISTORY, AND BECAME KNOWN AS THE LOST TEN TRIBES.

We must now ask the same question. The question boils d

GOD CHANGES JACOB'S NAME TO ISRAEL.

And again God said and appeared to Jacob;

Gen. 35:10 And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel.

11: And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins

While Jacob was yet alive, Joseph, his son, was sold into bondage in Egypt. A few years later, the other eleven sons of Jacob, and their families moved to Egypt where Joseph saved them from the famine. While still in Egypt, Jacob Israel adopted
the two sons of Joseph, named Ephraim and Manasseh, as his first born, in place of Reuben and Simeon. This adoption as Israel's first born is verified in the Bible.

1 Chron. 5:1 Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, (for he was the firstborn; but, forasmuch as he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel

In the book of Genesis, Jacob-Israel prophesied That, Ephraim would become greater than Manasseh, and his seed would become a multitude of nations;

Gen. 48:15 And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day,

16: The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.

17: And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head.

18: And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head.

19: And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.

20: And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh

GOD MARRIES ISRAEL.

In Exodus God says, concerning his covenant with Israel;

Ex. 19:5 now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:

6: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words, which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

7: And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the LORD commanded him.

8: And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD.

THE GOD OF ABRAHAM WAS ANCIENT ISRAEL'S HUSBAND!

When Israel agreed to the terms of the contract, she symbolically became 'GOD'S WIFE.' So again in Isaiah God says;

54:5 For thy Maker is THINE HUSBAND; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.

GOD ESTABLISHES ISRAEL AS A NATION

After forty years in the wilderness, Moses died, and Joshua brought Israel into Canaan land, and established them there as a nation. They had been commanded to observe God's commandments, and judgment's, and destroy the Canaanites from out of the
land, so that they would not be tempted to follow their gods, and participate in their abominations.

This, Israel did not do, and as a consequence, they suffered a series of captivities, during the four hundred years, up to the time of David (this is recorded in the book of Judges).

David came to the throne in Israel, approximately 1050 B. C., and in forty years of war, he enlarged and secured Israel as one nation, in Canaan land, ruling them from Zion, and Jerusalem.

At on point, David had over one million, five hundred men, under arms (this is recorded in I Chron. chapter 21) which would indicate that Gods promise of increasing the seed of Abraham, was being fulfilled with ten to fifteen million people living in
Palestine at that time.

When David died, his son Solomon ruled for another forty years, establishing an era of peace and prosperity, and building the great Temple to Yahweh.

ISRAEL BECOMES A HOUSE DIVIDED.

The Israel kingdom was so blessed, it became the marvel of that part of the world. It seemed that God's promises and prophecies of great increase were being fulfilled. But after Solomon's death, came a terrible blow, the nation was divided.
The ten northern tribes established their capitol, at Samaria. Jerusalem now ruled the southern half of Israel. The northern part of Israel became known as Samaria. The rivalry between the two kingdoms, called Judah, and Samaria brought wars,
corruption, and sin, even the worship of Baal, and the other god's, of the wicked Canaanites, who still lived among them

GOD DIVORCES ISRAEL.

God sent prophets to them, warning them that he would send alien nations against them, who would then take them captive into other lands. God called Israel's sin adultery, and told her, through Jeremiah and Hosea, that he was divorcing her;

Jer. 3:8 And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce;

Hosea 2:2 Plead with your mother, plead: for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband.

According to these scriptures, God divorced Israel. The northern House of Israel was therefore divorced and no longer the wife of Yahweh. Samaria, the Northern Kingdom was called Israel, and the southern kingdom was called Judah.

God sent Assyria to conquer the northern ten tribes of the Israel Kingdom. Shiloh was the place of the Ark of the Covenant, which God had turned over into the hands of the Philistines, because of the sins of Israel. Jerusalem was destroyed in about
595 B. C., and the Judahites were taken into captivity prophesied by Jeremiah, into Babylon.

Since the Assyrians and the Babylonians took Israel into captivity, what happened to the promises made to Israel by God, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob? Seventy years later Ezra did bring back, from Babylon, to Jerusalem, a handful of Judahites,
to rebuild the city and the Temple. In Ezra: 2 that number is given at less than fifty thousand.

Ezra 2:64 The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore,

65: Beside their servants and their maids, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven: and there were among them two hundred singing men and singing women.

The remnant of Judah, and Benjamin, provided the small Israelite community that existed in Jerusalem, at the time Jesus was born, five hundred years later. But what happened to the other tens of millions of Israelites, who never returned to
Jerusalem? Are their descendants, lost from the covenant promises of God?

ISRAEL BECAME LOST TO HISTORY, AND BECAME KNOWN AS THE LOST TEN TRIBES.

We must now ask the same question. The question boils down to this. What did happen to the Israelites, who were driven out of Palestine, seven hundred years before Jesus? And where were they at that time, if they existed at all? Can we find
out what happened to them so that their descendants can be identified in the world today?

With the passing of two thousand five hundred years, since the 'Assyrian captivity of Israel,' Israel appears to be truly the lost ten tribes. But during the last hundred years, a number of archaeological teams have been working in the Middle East.
'They have unearthed and published the original contemporary accounts, of the Assyrians, who took the Israelites captive.'

It is from these records that vital clues have come to light. These records are found in the form of cuneiforms, which are wedge shaped tablets. These tablets were found at Ninevah in 1900 A. D., and published in 1930 A. D. However their
connection to Israel, was overlooked, because they were found to be in complete disorder, and amongst about 1400 other texts. The tablets were Assyrian frontier post reports, dated about 707 B. C.

They describe the activities of a people called 'Gimira' who lived in the land of 'Gamir.' The description of 'Gamir' describes the area in which the 'Israelites had been placed just a few years earlier. One tablet stated that when the 'king
of Urartu' came into the land of 'Gamir' his army was routed as the 'Gamira people' counter-attacked, entered the land of 'Urartu' and killed their commanders.

In the second book of Kings it say's;

ll Kings 17:6: In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

The first archeological evidence, to establish a chronological link, in the contacts between, Israel and Assyria, are found on the inscriptions, on the side of a limestone stele, found at 'Nimrud' and is known as the 'black obelisk.'

The stone was inscribed with the records of ' Shalmaneser III,' and an illustration of the Israelite King 'Jehu,' bringing tribute to the Assyrian King. An inscription above the illustration say's, 'This is Jehu (Iaua), The son of (Omri).'
'Omri' in Hebrew begins with the consonant 'agin,' formerly called 'gayin' which was pronounced with a gutteral 'H,' which would sound like 'GH' or 'KH.'

The Israelites would naturally have pronounced 'Omri' as 'Ghomri,' which became 'Khumri' in Assyrian. As this inscription was executed nearly a century before the captivity of Israel, we now know the reason secular historians found no mention of the
exiled Israelites in ancient records. It was simply because the Assyrians who took the Israelites captive did not call them by that name.

You can research this from a book called 'King Solomon's Temple,' written by E. Raymond Capt.

Historians are now aware of the fact that the 'Gimira' were the same people who about thirty years later during the reign of Esarhaddon, King of Assyria, again were called 'Gimira.' We find in another, and later, Assyrian tablet, that in the
second year of the reign of this same king, which would be about 679 B. C. the 'Gimira,' under a leader named 'Teuspa' sought freedom by moving north. But the Assyrian army pursued them, and defeated them, in the upper Euphrates district. Never the
less, they reported a large number of the Israelites escaped to the shores of the Black Sea.

The Greeks also recorded the same activity, including an invasion of 'Sardis,' the capitol of 'Lydia,' in 645 B.C. In their records, they refer to the 'Gimera' as the 'Kimmiroi,' which we translate into as 'Cimmerian.' About 600 B.C. the
'Lydian's' drove the 'Gimira,' or 'Cimmerians' out of Asia Minor where they settled in the Carpithian regions, west of the Black Sea. We find them called, in the second book of Esdras, the people of 'Ar-sareth'(2 Esdras 13:40-44).

We now also know what happened to the larger body of the 'Gimira or Israelites,' that did not escape the 'Assyrians,' they formed an alliance with 'Esarhaddon the king,' when he came under attack, by the 'Medes and the Persians.' This treaty allowed
the 'Israelites' to establish colonies in Sacasene in the north and Bactria in the east. With absolutely no help from the Israelites, Assyria fell in 612 B.C. Soon the Israelites themselves came under attack, by the Medes.

Now those who had settled in Sacasene moved north to the Dariel Pass into the steppe regions of South Russia. There they became known by the Greek name 'Scythians.' The Israelites that had settled in Bactria, were forced north, and east. In the
records of the Persians they were called 'Massagetae and Sakka.'